Threats to Food Security

 By Richard B. Primack 

 

“All questions rely on the present for their solution. Time measures nothing but itself.” 

-Henry David Thoreau in A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers.  

 

A recent issue of Boston University’s Arts & Sciences magazine asks the Big Question: What is the greatest threat to human health from climate change? 

 

The greatest threat from climate change will likely be the danger it poses to plants and our food security. Throughout the world, stable crops such as wheat, corn, rice, and wheat will be harmed by the combination of heat waves and drought associated with climate change. This decline and loss of harvests will lead to sharply rising food prices or no food, hunger, starvation, and emigration.  

 

Corn crops will be harmed by droughts.

 The solution is to transition to an economy in which fossil fuels are greatly reduced, and alternative energy sources, such as wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and perhaps nuclear power are greatly expanded.  

 

Solar power is part of the solution.

 The main barrier to implementing these solutions is political. Individual people need to become involved in the political process, and to urge leaders to takes stands, to pass legislation, and to form alliances locally, nationally, and international to address climate change. Most importantly, the world needs an agreement between the US government and the Chinese government to reduce the production of greenhouse gases. 

 

President Biden and President Xi meet to discuss climate change.

 Here is a link to the issue: 

 

https://www.bu.edu/cas/the-big-question-what-is-the-greatest-threat-to-human-health-from-climate-change/